AP TEST REVIEW

1. Manifest Destiny

• Belief that the U.S. was meant to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

• Justified westward expansion, including the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War.

• Led to Native American displacement and conflict.

2. Constitution

• Written in 1787 to replace the weak Articles of Confederation.

• Created 3 branches: Legislative (Congress), Executive (President), Judicial (Supreme Court).

• Includes the Bill of Rights (first 10 amendments) to protect individual freedoms.

3. Civil Rights – Booker T. Washington

• Believed African Americans should gain rights through education and hard work.

• Founded Tuskegee Institute to teach vocational skills.

• Took a more gradual approach to equality (compared to W.E.B. Du Bois who pushed for immediate rights).

4. Comparing Colonies

• New England: Cold, rocky soil, economy based on trade, fishing, small farms; religious (Puritans).

• Middle Colonies: Good soil, diverse population, mix of farming and trade (breadbasket colonies).

• Southern Colonies: Warm climate, plantations, cash crops (tobacco, rice), enslaved labor.

5. New Deal (SAQ-style points)

• FDR’s programs during the Great Depression to provide Relief, Recovery, and Reform.

• Examples: Social Security (help for elderly), CCC (jobs for young men), FDIC (protected bank accounts).

• Strengthened federal government’s role in the economy.

6. Articles of Confederation

• America’s first government (1781–1787), very weak central power.

• No power to tax, raise an army, or enforce laws.

• Shays’ Rebellion showed it was too weak, leading to the Constitution.

7. Settlement of the West

• Driven by Manifest Destiny, railroads, and the Homestead Act (free land).

• Led to conflicts with Native Americans (e.g., Battle of Little Bighorn, Wounded Knee).

• Western settlers included ranchers, farmers, and miners.